1754

This was the home of Andrew E. Norman, an architect who designed many buildings in Edgewater. He lived here with his family shortly after the home was built. His office was on the 1500 Block of Devon. His two sons, Fremont and Andrew Jr. worked in his firm and lived at home.

The home was built by the B. F. Weber Company who were responsible for its design since no architect is listed. Many of the homes on Granville were built by Weber in the early part of the 20th century and they are recognizable if you walk up and down the street. Each has a similar floor plan but details differ on the facades. These were the homes for the middle class who could afford the $2200 purchase price.

This particular home has many unusual features that make it more of a custom design than those of its neighbors. For one thing it is a much wider house. From the front you can see a bay window left of the door, rather than the typical single panel. The full front porch has been rebuilt while retaining the original ceiling. It would be typical of a porch on this kind of home to have columns in the Greek style as there other classical details like the dentil design details on the porch trim and above along the front gabled roof line. The main front window is in two sections with the upper window detailed in a diamond mullion pattern with clear glass below. At the second floor level there are three windows centered on the facade that have crown moldings above each window. On the third floor there is an attic window and above it a hexagonal vent. The roof line extends down to the top of the second floor with a molding that extends only partway onto the facade. This little detail makes the home seem larger. The original home was wood sided.

The front door is original oak with 6 small windows at the top. It opens into a large hall that is a connector to the living room, the dining room and the staircase to the second floor. The living room has the large front window and the benefit of four beautiful windows along the east wall. The casement windows may have been an addition since the style is reflective of Arts and Crafts design with four small panes over two larger panes. These are copy replacements for the original deteriorated windows.

The dining room has large windows also facing east. There is an apartment building next door but because it was designed in an L shape it does not intrude on the house. Between the two large windows is a fixed square window and the space below it may have been planned to accommodate a buffet. However, a mysterious cut along the floorboards on the opposite side of the room may indicate a buffet on that side. A passageway from the dining room is a kind of butler’s pantry with builtin drawers and cabinet above.

The kitchen has been updated and the owners have photos of how it was once arranged. On one wall is a built in china hutch that has wide glass doors. The floor is maple and the cabinets are also maple. Again there are windows to bring light into the room. Off the kitchen is the back porch that was once screened in. The backyard is quite deep and the owners have created a brick patio off the porch.

To reach the second floor you will go through the dining room and up the stairs to a hallway. In this hallway is a wood framed mirror that was probably once in the front hall. It matches a mirror installed in the home across the street. The doors are six panel doors with wood framing and crown moldings. There are 4 bedrooms. One in the front is used as an office. A second one is towards the front with two windows. The third is at the top of the staircase and the fourth is towards the back. The bathroom has been updated and enlarged by taking some of the space from a closet in the fourth bedroom. The floors on the second floor are fir or heart of pine which is a hard dense wood from the virgin forests of Michigan and Wisconsin. This wood is no longer available. It is remarkable for its coloring which ranges from gold to red. It is probable that the doors are of the same wood but in the tradition of the time the doors and woodwork would have been painted. There is a staircase to the third floor attic room which is not open.

The other Weber homes have elements of the Queen Anne style which grew in popularity in America after the 1876 World’s Fair in Philadelphia introduced the style in the United States. This home is a design in transition to the American foursquare with the four bedrooms on the second floor.

The Norman family lived in the home, with 10 children. Andrew Norman passed away in 1934. In addition to the two sons who worked in the business there were three sisters, Jean, Ann and Belle who lived in the home until they passed away. Fremont lived there until 1989. The Normans’ were able to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 1932 at Ebenezer Lutheran Church on Foster, a Church designed by A. E Norman in 1904.